New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday February 24) asked the court hearing cases of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to expeditiously decide the bail plea of ailed Bramulla Lok Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) Sheikh Abdul Rashid, popularly known as Engineer Rashid in a terror funding case.
Justice Vikas Mahajan was hearing a plea filed by the Baramulla MP seeking a direction from the High Court for quick disposal of his plea seeking bail pending before a trial court on the issue of jurisdiction.
What did the High Court say?
Justice Mahajan noted that the high court on the administrative side has passed a direction clarifying that the NIA court would continue to hear the case.
“The ASJ-03, Patiala House Court is requested to dispose of the bail application of the petitioner (Rashid) expeditiously,” the High Court said.
Following the development, Rashid’s counsel sought to withdraw his plea from the high court.
The High Court was earlier informed by the counsel representing the high court administration that the Supreme Court has clarified that the NIA court dealing with the case could hear the bail plea.
High Court earlier issued notice to its registrar general
The High Court had on February 4 issued notice to its registrar general for the clarification on the issue of designation of a court to hear the Baramulla MP’s bail plea in the terror-funding case.
Rashid’s counsel told the High Court earlier that he had been left in limbo and without remedy after the NIA court, which was hearing his regular bail plea, sent the it back on the ground that it was not a special MP/MLA court to hear the matter since he was now a lawmaker.
High Court earlier allowed two-day custody parole to Rashid
The High Court on February 10, in an interim relief to Rashid, allowed two-day custody parole to him to attend the Parliament session with certain conditions imposed on him.